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Elon Musk made a terrifying prediction about artificial intelligence and warned parents about how the technology is harming children. Musk, 52, spoke at a tech conference on Thursday about the future of AI, and cautioned the audience that it will take over most of their jobs. Speaking remotely via webcam at VivaTech 2024 in Paris, the Tesla CEO said ‘probably none of us will have a job’ when discussing how AI will develop and grow.
‘If you want to do a job that’s kinda like a hobby, you can do a job,’ Musk said. ‘But otherwise, AI and the robots will provide any goods and services that you want.’ Musk explained that, for this scenario to work, there has to be ‘universal high income’. Universal high income (UHI) is a concept that envisions a society where AI reduces the cost of human labor – which would make basic needs affordable for everyone.
This concept is not to be confused with universal basic income, which refers to the government giving a certain amount of money to everyone no matter what their income is. ‘There would be no shortage of goods or services,’ Musk said, describing the future of AI. Artificial intelligence has progressed rapidly over the past few years, leaving researchers and regulators scrambling to keep up.
However, researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab found in January that workplaces are adopting AI far slower than experts had predicted and feared. Experts do not believe that AI can take over certain jobs that require high levels of emotional intelligence – such as mental health professionals, teachers and creatives, according to CNN.
Despite being sure of AI’s role in our future, Musk described the technology as his biggest fear and has been outspoken regarding his concerns. The Space X CEO added at the conference that he plans to put people on Mars ‘probably within 10 years, maybe seven to eight’ – but said while his ‘biggest hope is Mars – my biggest fear is AI.’
Musk referenced the ‘Culture Book Series’ by Ian Banks, which is a utopian fictionalized look at a society run by advanced technology – which he says is the most realistic and ‘the best envisioning of a future AI.’ He questioned whether humans would be fulfilled with a life without jobs and careers.
‘The question will really be one of meaning – if the computer and robots can do everything better than you, does your life have meaning?’ he said. ‘I do think there’s perhaps still a role for humans in this – in that we may give AI meaning.’ Musk also issued a warning to parents about allowing their children to use technology.
The billionaire told parents to limit the amount of time their kids spend on social media because ‘they’re being programmed by a dopamine-maximizing AI.’ Musk recently claimed that ‘AI will be smarter than any human by the end of 2025’ – and experts said he could be right. Nell Watson, an AI expert and ethicist, shared a detailed timeline of how the tech could transform from chatbots to super intelligent agents over the next 12 months.
The path would start with a massive $100 billion investment in new computing infrastructure, then AI would learn how to self-improve until it becomes ‘conscious.’ ‘Although one year is a short time frame, remember that only 15 months have passed since ChatGPT’s breakthrough, which thrust AI into the public consciousness, she told DailyMail.com.
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